FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Food can bring people together, and it also plays a huge role in providing opportunities for a selected group of Flagler County inmates.
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Five inmates at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility received their certifications for a culinary course on Oct. 13, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
The inmates learned about food service management under the Homeward Bound Initiative, which first launched in 2021 in partnership with Flagler Technical College.
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The culinary program adds to the existing programs in Pre-Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning and vinyl graphics applications.
HBI offers courses where inmates can learn a trade or skill that they can use upon their release from jail. These skills can also help improve their chances of gaining employment.
The first round of culinary classes began on Aug. 1. During the class at the Green Roof Inn, Inmates will spend 15 weeks and 120 hours Oof training with Jamie Boudreau, a chef who owns the Beachfront Grille in Flagler Beach. He said this initiative will help businesses in the area.
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“We are all enduring staffing challenges,” Boudreau said. “And this program will help fill a gap in our industry as well as provide inmates with the chance to obtain good employment in a high-demand market.”
Boudreau is also a retired law enforcement officer.
The program is funded on donations, and the food was donated or purchased through the Inmate Welfare Program, which does not use tax dollars.
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Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said some inmates have jobs lined up after their release.
“We are focusing not only on addiction and mental health treatment but also on trade skills for inmates who are serious about turning their lives around,” Staly said.
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